Episode 1130
Episode 1130
'Why did you leave me to interrogate that guy?!'
Lee Han, who had been resting from exhaustion, screamed with his eyes as he glared at the knights.
If they knew Professor Voladi was right there, they should've tactfully asked him instead—making him spill everything from the Evil God Worshipper Juzen's origins to his grudges was just cruel.
Of course, even the knights hadn't expected Ibinta to extract information so thoroughly.
At best, they thought he might uncover the temporary hideout location of the Evil God Worshipper...
—W-We didn't know he'd get that much out of him either!
'That's not an excuse.'
Professors Garcia and Kirmin cursed inwardly.
They wondered if these were really the same veteran knights who had proudly claimed to have fought for hundreds of years.
Try boasting about that now!
"D-Did I say something wrong?"
"Continue."
It was Professor Voladi who calmed the frightened Ibinta.
—Shut up, you idiot!
"If you don't keep your mouth shut, I'll report you to the Headmaster for treason!"
"N-No..."
As the Death Knights and Lee Han threatened him with deadly intensity, Ibinta's rough, menacing face twisted as tears welled up in his eyes.
It was simply because he was terrified.
Even setting aside the fact that these knights were the Skeleton Principal's subordinates, they were monsters one had to be prepared to die against if encountered in a dungeon.
Death Knights were elite undead monsters, each boasting fearsome destructive power.
And the mage beside them was from the Wardanaz Family.
...That alone made him even more terrifying to Ibinta than the knights.
Ibinta's fear spread to his former comrade. A mercenary, once a shoemaker for the Shadows of Kangla, asked in panic:
"Hey, what's going on? If we talk, will you let us live...?"
Swoosh—
The mercenary suddenly realized something was jutting out from his chest.
Shockingly, it was a blade.
"?!?!!"
Despite the blade piercing his body, there was no pain, no blood—he hadn't even noticed it happening. The horrifying sight nearly made the mercenary scream.
"Don't move."
Professor Voladi kindly warned him.
The dimensional blade currently impaling the mercenary was precisely fixed in place, causing no damage—but the moment he struggled, his entire body would be torn apart.
"Continue."
"W-What... What should I say...?"
"Exactly what you were saying."
The mercenary blinked.
The Death Knights beside him strongly warned him not to speak, but the mercenary couldn't bring himself to listen.
If he didn't talk, he might be killed by these undead knights later—but if he did, wouldn't the mage who had just impaled him with a blade start gutting him right now?
"I-I don't know much about that bastard Juzen either. What I said earlier is pretty much all I know. Uh, also..."
"Precisely. Don't leave out a single detail."
Professor Voladi's voice carried a hint of irritation.
Though it was just mild annoyance, that alone overwhelmed the atmosphere. The knights didn't dare intervene, only watching nervously.
The mercenary spilled everything—what he had witnessed, how Juzen and other vampire nobles from the west held deep grudges against the Bagrak Family, and how, given the tense state of the cult, they likely wouldn't dare act recklessly now.
"But hasn't he already changed his mind?"
Professor Voladi pointed out Juzen's actions.
Evil God Worshippers were beings of irrationality, making them difficult to predict with ordinary logic.
Even if they devoted everything to their cult's revival, a minor emotional shift could make them defy orders and act on their own whims.
The mercenary had nothing to say and simply nodded.
"T-That... might be true."
"There are more survivors than expected. That might be why."
Muttering to himself, Professor Voladi withdrew the blade. At the sight, Professor Garcia and the knights let out sighs of relief.
But Lee Han immediately shouted.
"...Everyone, subdue Professor Bagrak!!"
"?!?"
Professor Garcia couldn't comprehend Lee Han's words for a moment.
Had this ambitious student finally decided to seize a professor's position before aiming for the headmaster's seat?
But there were already plenty of professor positions available even without...
-Ah!
The knights reacted faster than Professor Garcia, realizing what Lee Han was worried about.
Shhhhk!
Shadowy chains materialized in midair and flew toward Professor Voladi. But the professor was no longer there.
He had used a not-so-powerful spatial spell to briefly slow the chains before slipping through the gap.
-Damn combat mages!
The death knights gnashed their teeth.
Experienced combat mages were more troublesome to deal with than high-level mages. They knew exactly how to utilize every low-circle spell with precision.
"Professor! Let's talk for just a moment!! Just a brief moment!"
Lee Han called out while charging psychokinesis to maximum output in one hand. Hamster was dumbfounded by this shameless display.
'Is that bastard really my disciple?'
"We'll talk later. Use the remaining time for self-study."
At the voice from behind, Lee Han immediately turned, attempting to block the movement with psychokinesis.
"Don't fall for it, Wardanaz!"
Professor Kirmin screamed.
That trick was one he frequently used himself.
True to his annoying nature, Lee Han had learned and was now employing it masterfully.
As Lee Han turned, the figure of Professor Voladi that had appeared behind him melted away.
A simple illusionary clone combined with mana emission and sound projection had easily deceived Lee Han's senses. He felt ashamed.
'Falling for such a cheap trick!'
"Professor Kim, open your soul vision! Voladi will escape using dimensions!"
Professor Kirmin shouted loudly while completing the multi-dimensional labyrinth of illusions he'd been preparing. Right now, he had to disrupt his friend's escape by any means necessary.
Professor Garcia, who had been distorting spatial coordinates to prevent teleportation magic, hastily opened her soul vision. The opponent was so resourceful that they had to prepare for numerous methods simultaneously.
Lee Han also focused on his soul vision. Then, a familiar angel's voice boomed.
-What in the... Stop!
'Apazragon!'
The angel's voice made Lee Han's heart sink.
There was no reason for the meticulous Professor Voladi to suddenly attack the angel now.
What could his goal possibly be?
"Voladi has seized the angel's dimension!!"
-To think he'd steal the Dimension of Divine Light Extinguished...!
Between Professor Kirmin's shout and the angel's cry, Lee Han immediately grasped the situation.
The Dimension of Divine Light Extinguished—the exclusive angelic dimension Apazragon had been using to secretly follow Lee Han.
This shadow-like dimension, which shifted like a blurred concept of reality, was perfect not only for covert observation but also for escape.
From the moment the angel revealed himself and boasted about the dimension, Professor Voladi had already been calculating how to exploit it.
"Apazragon! Chase him!"
-That mortal has stolen the Dimension of Divine Light Extinguished...
Apazragon tried to whine, but Lee Han had no time to indulge him.
No matter how exceptional Professors Garcia and Kirmin were as mages, they couldn't possibly anticipate and block such an unexpected method.
"If we lose him, I'll summon every being I know from across dimensions and banish you to the most remote and desolate place! Chase him, you bastard! You must catch him! You clean up the mess with the dimension you brought here!"
Apazragon, who had spent his entire life quietly immersed in his own race's dimension, was learning for the first time what 'unreasonableness' truly meant.
Apazragon attempted to re-enter the stolen dimension. But just as it was difficult for him to interfere with the thief, it was equally hard to intervene now.
The opponent had already stretched out so far that it was nearly impossible to grasp any information about them, disappearing into the distance. By the time they returned to the Material Plane, they would likely be dozens of kilometers apart.
"Professor!! Actually, I entered the dimension to challenge the Fire Giant King, not to chase after that bastard Juzen!! Please come back first!!"
Even though he knew it was futile, Lee Han shouted loudly. Of course, there was no way the already vanished Professor Voladi could hear him.
And honestly, it wasn't a very convincing excuse. Even if the other had heard it, they probably wouldn't have believed it.
"Grr...!"
Lee Han found it hard to believe everything that had unfolded in such a short time.
All of this had happened because of just a momentary lapse in vigilance.
In his heart, he wanted to punch every single one of them—starting with the Evil God Worshippers and ending with that damn angel.
"Calm down, Lee Han."
Professor Garcia comforted him with a concerned tone. Professor Kirmin chimed in as well.
"It's not your fault, Wardanaz. The blame lies with Professor Bagrak for acting recklessly."
"More importantly, how did you know the professor would slip away?"
"You said there were more survivors than expected, didn't you?"
"???"
Professor Garcia didn't understand. But Professor Kirmin let out a sigh of realization.
"That's it! That was the reason!"
"...Uh, excuse me. Could you explain it to me too?"
"Ah. My apologies, Professor Kim."
Professor Kirmin turned his gaze to his confused colleague.
Not everyone from Einrogard was an expert in Bagrak Studies. Unless you were Wardanaz or himself, Professor Garcia still had a ways to go.
"So... what you're saying is that among those Evil God bastards, there are more survivors who hold direct grudges than we thought."
"That's right...?"
Professor Garcia still didn't get it. Professor Kirmin, as if understanding her confusion, kindly broke it down step by step.
1. Among the Evil God Worshippers, there are more survivors who hold personal grudges against Professor Voladi than expected.
2. While the cult itself may not have plans to attack, with so many survivors, unforeseen variables could arise at any moment.
3. Therefore, it's only logical to go around separately and eliminate every last one of those survivors.
"...Wait, hold on. I don't understand point 3?? I mean, killing them aside, why go around separately?"
"I'm the professor's student, aren't I? If the professor moves separately, people will focus on him, not a mere student like me."
'I could give full marks in Bagrak Studies.'
Professor Kirmin thought to himself.
Unlike himself, whose senses had dulled (in fact, he had reacted late to Voladi's words earlier because of it), this student had maintained sharp instincts through recent rigorous training.
Back in his prime, Professor Kirmin could read his friend's emotions just from a single cough...
"Ah. So that's why you brought up the Fire Giant King?"
"Exactly."
Professor Kirmin answered regretfully on his behalf.
The moment Professor Voladi heard that his student had chased the enemy beyond the dimension, he must have realized that his student had stepped forward to eliminate the lingering grudges against his family.
Perhaps that had been the final push. Knowing that, there was no way Voladi—given his personality—would have stayed put.
"Thinking back, I should've stopped him from escaping right then and there..."
"......"
Professor Garcia wore an exasperated expression.
'Can't these people just sit down and talk things out calmly?'
Both Professor Bagrak, his student, and even his friend were so infuriatingly quick to deduce dozens of possibilities from a single clue and act on them.
Why couldn't they just sit down and resolve things through calm conversation?!
But Professor Garcia couldn't bring herself to say it.
Because the two of them looked utterly dejected, having lost both a friend and a mentor.
"...Both of you, cheer up. Professor Bagrak probably won't overdo it."
"You think so?"
"Of course, Lee Han."
"What if we ask His Highness Uman to put a bounty on the professor...?"
"...That doesn't seem like a very good idea."